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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26772043">Nap Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWield/pseuds/SilverWield'>SilverWield</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Two oblivious dorks, Wholesome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:00:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26772043</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWield/pseuds/SilverWield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dio gifted our heroes a buggy and with that comes some creative seating arrangements.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart, Cloud/Tifa, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nap Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith and Red stood around the car with matching expressions on their faces.</p><p>“Why'd we always end up with a piece of shit for a car?” Barret kicked one of the back tyres on the “buggy” Dio offered them as compensation for throwing them in Corel prison under the Gold Saucer.</p><p>Aerith shrugged and said in a bright voice, “Well, could be worse.” She glanced at Tifa and grinned. “We could be walking.”</p><p>Cloud scoffed as Red said, “We still could. Will this even accommodate all of us?”</p><p>“You can run alongside,” Barret offered, opening up the driver's side door.</p><p>“Or we could strap you to the roof,” he replied in a dry tone.</p><p>“Guys, please, let's figure this out,” Tifa said, making settling actions with her hands. “Barret will have to sit in the front,” she continued in a decisive voice.</p><p>“Need someone who knows the way up here, too,” Barret added, leaning in and glancing towards the back of the car. “That sword's not gonna fit.” He came back out and shook his head.</p><p>“I'll make it fit,” Cloud replied, as his eyes narrowed. “I'll navigate—”</p><p>“Aw, hell no, I'm not having you sit up here.” Barret waved his hands around as his volume rose. “Drive me straight off the cliff of sanity.”</p><p>Cloud crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, as he turned away and stared across the flat plains that merged with the mountains in the far distance. Eventually they'd have to ditch the buggy anyway.</p><p>“Tifa, you been outside Midgar before.”</p><p>Cloud stiffened and glanced over his shoulder to see Tifa's face frozen on a pained smile. “—”</p><p>“Not really,” she said, with an awkward little laugh. “I don't remember the way.”</p><p>“I'll sit up front,” Red said, padding towards the other side of the buggy.</p><p>“You gonna sniff your way through the glass?” Barret mocked. “Nah, guess that leaves...”</p><p>Everyone turned to look at Aerith.</p><p>She beamed at them. “Can't be too hard, right?”</p><p>“We're gonna die out here,” Cloud muttered, placing a hand to his brow and frowning.</p><p>“I heard that.” Aerith poked his upper arm. “It'll be fine,” she added, dragging the word out and giving everyone a big smile.</p><p>Cloud looked at Tifa, who tried to cover a yawn by shrugging.</p><p>Cloud sighed. “I suppose we don't have a lot of options and should try and cover some distance before it gets dark.”</p><p>And that was that.</p><p> </p><p>The buster sword did find its way into the car like Cloud said. With Barret shoving his seat all the way back, there was little room for anyone's legs in the space behind him, Red climbed onto the back seat and curled up, as Cloud slotted his sword in the space between Barret's seat and the door. The hilt jutted out inches above Red's back.</p><p>“Hope we don't run into any monsters. Barret and Red can't get out and now Cloud won't have his sword,” Aerith said, as she pulled her seat forward so Cloud and Tifa had more room.</p><p>“We'll handle it,” Tifa replied with confidence as she took the small space in the centre of the car. She had Red on her right and Cloud to the left. Covering another yawn, she folded her hands in her lap as she tried not to look too uncomfortable with so little room.</p><p>Grumbling under his breath, Cloud angled himself into the corner, crossed his arms and shut his eyes.</p><p>“Something the matter?” Aerith turned round in her seat to look at him. “Cloud?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>Aerith looked at Tifa and smiled. “Oh, okay. Everybody comfy?”</p><p>“Not in the slightest.”</p><p>“I guess so.”</p><p>“Whatever.”</p><p>Aerith ducked her head and laughed. “Okay, then, let's keep on truckin'!”</p><p> </p><p>Aerith stared out of the window for a while. She was supposed to navigate, but this was only her second time out of Midgar and everything was a bit...much. It was okay when she could distract herself with chatter, but when everything went silent like this, she had a harder time ignoring the voices whispering in her ear. “Hey, Barret,” she began in a low voice, “I'm sorry for earlier. It wasn’t very nice of me to dismiss your feelings like that.”</p><p>Barret grunted and nodded. “Don't take this the wrong way, but you're young and you're gonna make mistakes and say shit you wish you could take back.” He chuckled and shrugged his left shoulder. “Me? I'm a grown ass man getting my feelings hurt and acting like a spoiled little kid. Almost landed the whole lot of us in hot water.”</p><p>“So...I helped?” she replied in a bright voice.</p><p>Barret laughed. “I wouldn't go that far, but it wouldn't be the first time I've needed a lesson in holding onto my temper.”</p><p>Aerith sat back, relieved. “Oh, that's good. I don't want to lose a friend over something silly.”</p><p>Barret glanced at her. “Nah, we're good.”</p><p>Nodding, Aerith faced front again and then frowned. “It's getting dark, shouldn't we make camp?”</p><p>“Hmm, you're right.” He dipped his head towards the back and said, “Was waiting for hardass back there to say something, but I guess he's not talking.”</p><p>Aerith turned around and looked into the back, then bit back a giggle. “They're not talking for a good reason,” she said in an amused voice.</p><p>“Huh?” Barret ducked his head round, then faced front again as he snorted. “Almost forgot I'm travelling with a bunch of kids.”</p><p>Cloud, Tifa and Red were all fast asleep. Cloud was still wedged into the corner, but at some point his arms uncrossed and Tifa had tipped sideways so her head rested on his shoulder. His right arm was around her, keeping her close. Given more room, Red stretched out, leaving them with less.</p><p>“I guess after the Gold Saucer they were really tired.” Of the group, the three of them did the most work getting in and out of the place. Barret ran off and it turned out she wasn't as tough as she thought.</p><p>“Gonna have to wake 'em up when we find a campsite,” Barret commented.</p><p>“Aw, come on, I'm sure we can put up a tent, no problem!” Aerith gave him an enthusiastic grin and thumbs up.</p><p>Barret shrugged. “Well, okay, if you say so. Let's find us a safe place to stop and get things—oh, shit.” Barret scowled. “I'm stuck in here thanks to that damn sword.”</p><p>“Just crawl across,” Aerith replied in a teasing lilt. “You'll manage.”</p><p>“Sure and get my ass stuck.” He laughed. “Think you can open the back and pull the sword out?”</p><p>“Me? Do you know how much that thing weighs?” She'd seen Tifa lift it with ease at Don Corneo's but she didn't think she could do that. “No, I'll just move the seat back and you can crawl over.” She was already doing that and then felt the seat bump into something. Cloud's leg. Glancing around, she saw him frown and shift position, stretching his legs out diagonally across the limited space which resulted in one of Tifa's legs sliding over his. Aerith giggled. She turned to Barret. “We there yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“We should use that damn sword for a tent peg—Ah, my back!”</p><p>“Need a hand?”</p><p>“You don't have any!”</p><p>“You're not much better off.”</p><p>“Screw you, man.”</p><p>Aerith giggled.</p><p>The sound of bickering made Cloud frown as he woke. “What the hell?” he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where are we?” He tried to lean forward, but it was then he realised he and Tifa were half-lying together on the back seat. “Uh—!” About to move, he stopped when he saw she was fast asleep. <em>Slowly. </em>He didn't know how it happened, but he figured she'd be embarrassed if anyone caught them cuddling like this. Although it felt really warm and comforting. No wonder he'd slept so long. He actually felt refreshed for once. Craning his neck he could see it was almost dark out and a trio of shadowy figures were moving about setting up a tent. Or trying to. Barret had one arm and no patience, Red had no arms and while Aerith was the most functioning of the set, she also had no clue how to put up a tent.</p><p>Cloud grumbled under his breath. He'd have to go do it himself before they broke it and everyone wound up sleeping in the buggy. <em>But, how to wake her? </em>Would Tifa be upset with him? He hadn't done it on purpose, but somehow they'd ended up like this. <em>Shit, did the others see? Must have. </em>She felt soft against him, laying on her side, her right leg hooked over his right knee. One arm was bent at the elbow to cover her stomach and the other was trapped somewhere between them. His gaze softened as he stared at her. <em>Tifa. </em>He wondered how she felt comfortable like that, but from her steady breathing she couldn't have been too bothered. Her hair half-covered her face and Could found his hand moving of its own free will to tuck the loose strands behind her ear. <em>Never thought she'd ever be this close. </em>He ducked his head and pressed a light kiss into the top of her head. <em>She'll never know. </em>He still felt guilty doing it. Like there was a voice in the back of his head saying he should treasure her more carefully.</p><p>A crash from outside, accompanied by a lot of swearing from Barret, jerked Tifa awake. She tried to bolt upright, but Cloud's arm around her prevented her from moving. “Sorry,” he muttered, relaxing his grip. <em>At least it wasn't the stupid gauntlet digging in this time.</em></p><p>Tifa shook her head and pushed herself upright. “No, it's my fault. Guess I fell asleep.”</p><p>As she turned away, Cloud thought he caught sight of her cheeks turning pink. He could feel his own face warming as he stared at her. “Uh, no biggie,” he said, brushing the whole thing off.</p><p>“Where are we?” She leaned towards the far window.</p><p>Cloud's gaze travelled to where her hand rested on the seat, acting as a brace. “Don't know,” he replied in a low voice.</p><p>“Where are Barret and the others?” She turned his way and looked around him out of the other window.</p><p>He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Destroying the tent by the sounds of it.”</p><p>Tifa ducked her head and laughed. “Guess we should give them a hand?”</p><p>He nodded. “Sure.” They probably wouldn’t talk about this the same way they pretended he hadn’t been in each other’s arms after they jumped from the train that time...</p>
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